Friday, October 31, 2014

Three-time Tony Awards winner Hinton Battle

Three-time Tony Awards winner Hinton Battle is recognized as one of Broadway’s most respected musical stars. He began his career on stage at the age of 15, as the Scarecrow in the Broadway production of The Wiz.

He has since gone on to build an impressive portfolio of work, dazzling audiences across the country and around the world for over three decades, starring in some of the most memorable musicals ever, including Dancin, Dreamgirls, Sophisticated Ladies, Chicago (Billy Flynn), Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr.), Miss Saigon and The Tap Dance Kid.

He is the recipient of numerous awards honoring his versatility as an entertainer, among them the NAACP Image Awards, Midtown International Theatre Festival Award, Fred Astaire Awards, Ira Aldridge Awards, the Choreographer Media Honors, Planet Connection Award, the 2012 Champion of the Arts Award from Big Boi’s“Antwan Patten” Big Kidz Foundation, and the Amas 2014 Rosie Award for lifetime achievement in recognition of extraordinary accomplishment in theatrical arts.

Hinton has easily crossed from stage to television and film.

He Choreographed and starred in Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story for ABC, as the legendary Bill “Bojangles” Robinson; appeared in These Old Broads, Foreign Student, Touched By An Angel, was the dancing demon “Sweet” in the musical episode of the hit television series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, played Wayne opposite Jamie Fox in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls and Smash on ABC.

As a choreographer, Hinton’s credits include the 65th and 66th Academy Awards, the Outkast musical film, Idlewild for which he created a new dance style SWOP (a union of swing and hip-hop). Additionally he has directed and choreographed ballets for the Baltimore School of the Arts, Washington Reflections Dance Company, and Philadanco.

He directed and choreographed the Off-Broadway musicals Respect, The Marvelous Wonderettes, the stage production of Evil Dead: The Musical and he is currently one of the producers of the hit Off-Broadway show, Sistas: The Musical, entering its third year at St. Luke’s Theatre in New York City and aired 2013 on BET.

He now adds to his long list of accomplishments as author, producer and director of Hinton Battle’s Love Lies which starred Grammy winners Brian McKnight, and Angie Stone and also played a starring role of Pastor Milkum. The play was part of the 2012 Midtown International Theatre Festival where it received 9 MITF Award nominations and was the recipient of two awards. In 2013 the production went on to have a cross-country national tour that began at the Warner Theater in Washington D.C.

Hinton recently returned from Osaka, Japan from sold-out performances of Hinton Battle's American Variety Bang II (HBAVB II) produced by Yoshimoto at the NGK Theatre. Hinton starred, directed, choreographed and wrote the musical which featured an American cast of 26 dancers, singers and musicians. In the Fall of 2014 three time Tony Award winner Hinton Battle in partnership with YoshimotoKogyo Co., Ltd.; a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate founded in 1912, will launch Hinton Battle Dance Academy in Tokyo and Osaka and will be returning to Japan in 2015 with Hinton Battle's American Variety Bang III.

On December 2013 Hinton released the cd Hinton Battle meets the Count Basie Orchestra produced by legendary jazz producer "88"; which is now available on iTunes and in Tower Records. Mr. Battle will be performing June 6, 2014 at 54 Below in New York City for the release of his 2nd jazz cd produced by the great jazz drummer Lee Pearson, “Hinton Battle Something New.

Mr. Battle would like to thank God for all the wonderful opportunities, the accolades, the brilliant people and the courage he has put in his life. Thank you.